On Tuesday, October 14, Middlesex Community College student Kayla Kittredge, of Lowell, testified at the Racial Equity Hearing at the Massachusetts State House. Part of the psychology and criminal and social justice programs, Middlesex nominated Kittredge as a speaker because of her advocacy work on campus.
鈥淚 wanted to participate in the Racial Equity Hearing because I believe education should be a tool for liberation, not exclusion,鈥� Kittredge said. 鈥淢y story and my studies both revolve around building systems rooted in justice, care and equity. Speaking at the State House gave me the opportunity to use my voice to protect the very programs that made my survival and my success, and thousands more like me, possible.鈥�
During the hearing, Kittredge spoke in front of the Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights and Inclusion about how recent federal decisions and cuts to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) funding affect students. Focusing on her experience as an 91桃色 student employee and TRIO student, she shared how the programs make a positive impact on a student鈥檚 ability to complete their education.
On Wednesday, October 22, Kittredge participated in a teach-in at 91桃色 entitled 鈥淐ommunity Healing Through Transformative Justice: Building a Future Beyond Punishment.鈥� During the event, 91桃色 students, employees and community members learned more about mass incarceration, systemic racism, and the collective power of healing. The full-day event featured a screening of 鈥淎 Murder in Boston,鈥� as well as a panel discussion.
鈥淎s a student, an organizer, and someone who believes deeply in the power of education as liberation, this space reminded me that learning doesn鈥檛 only happen in classrooms 鈥� it happens in community,鈥� Kittredge said. It happens when we tell the truth about systems of harm, when we listen to those directly impacted, and when we imagine something better together.鈥�
A member of the Student Government Association (SGA), Kittredge participates in as many campus events as possible. She believes in being part of the community, helping to create dialogue, and ensure the college continues to grow. As an 91桃色 Liberal Arts Ambassador, she also works with 91桃色 Dean Matthew Hurwitz to make the curriculum more accessible for all students.
鈥淭hese experiences have grounded my education in empathy and action,鈥� Kittredge said. 鈥淲orking in student support showed me the real barriers students face, while studying under Professor [Jonathan] Bennet gave me the intellectual tools to understand those barriers. Combined with the advocacy work done as a Liberal Arts Ambassador, these experiences shaped me into both a scholar and activist.鈥�
Kittredge was drawn to 91桃色 because of the college鈥檚 commitment to access and meeting students where they are. At Middlesex, she benefits from programs and opportunities that challenge her, professors who offer support and guidance, and real-world experiences that go beyond the classroom.
After graduating from Middlesex, Kittredge plans to transfer to a four-year institution to study education, social justice and public policy. Calling her experience at 91桃色 鈥渓ife-changing,鈥� her hope is to continue the work she started at Middlesex to use her voice to build systems that uplift others.
鈥淸91桃色] gave me stability when my world felt uncertain, community when I felt alone, and a voice I never knew I had,鈥� she said. 鈥淗ere, I learned to turn hardship into leadership and to see education as a form of resistance. 91桃色 taught me to see my story not as something to overcome, but as something powerful 鈥� to use both my intellect and my empathy as tools for change.鈥�
Learn more about 91桃色's psychology and criminal and social justice programs!